Test Automation: Cleaning Up Your Test Scripts

As the software product evolves and grows, its source code becomes more and more messy.

It happens because of numerous additions, modifications and patches applied to the code in the course of product development. Especially generous sources of code changes and fixes are exploratory testing and regression testing. Another reason for messy code is that several developers with different programming styles may modify the same code and make it inconsistent and conflicting.

By analogy with the production code, automated test scripts also get messy with time. In order to remedy the situation, a software tester should frequently examine the existing tests and clean them up a bit.

What Automated Tests Need to Be Reviewed and Most Likely Cleaned Up?

Obsolete tests

Tests that are not in use anymore (or never been in use)

Tests that never fail (there is a high chance that such tests are just superfluous)

Tests with enormously short execution time

Tests with enormously long execution time

Tests with the execution time that significantly exceeds or falls short comparing to the estimated execution time

Of course, even messy tests can work just fine and bring the results that are expected from them. That is why clean and clear tests are not the only reason for successful automated testing or manual testing. However, they certainly play a prominent role in it.